Joined
·
495 Posts
I really like my Craftsman Model 152.221140 Table Saw. I purchased it new from Sears in September 2010 for $540 after they had been discontinued. It replaced a Delta bench top model that I had been using for five years prior to that.
Over the last couple of years, I have customized the TS with a laminated outfeed table, laminated extension table (58" rip capacity), sealed all the dust collection leaks and added hold down capability to the fence. I have the blade, miter slots and fence all aligned correctly. I use good thin kerf blades and dado blades.
My only complaints with the TS are:
1. The splitter is very malleable and tends to bend out of alignment with the blade if it gets bumped. I have looked at third party splitters, but thought I would ask here first.
2. The 1.5 hp motor gets bogged down when cutting hardwood such as cherry, maple and oak. There seems to be a very fine sweet spot between feed rate and the burn rate. When the feed rate is too slow, the burn rate increases. When the feed rate is too fast the motor bogs down quickly.
I have done some research into finding a more "robust" TS, but when I compare features, I usually like my Craftsman TS the best. I have looked at Jet, Delta and Powermatic table saws over the last year and I didn't find them any better than the Craftsman TS that I have now.
I visited the Grizzly showroom in Bellingham a couple of days ago to look at the G1023RLWX (5HP 220V 10" dia blade) with the W2007 extension rails and the GO605X1 (5HP 220V 12" dia blade). Yes, I like the saws, but when I compared the features that I was giving up, I decided not to purchase. The fence on the G1023 is very basic compared to my Craftsman fence. The fence on the G0605X1 was definitely an upgrade over the G1023, but still lacked the ability to mount a feather board hold down to it without creating a jig. The dust collection shroud around the blade was very attractive, but I have made my TS so good at collecting dust, that I can't see that the Grizzly shroud would do any better.
Anyways, I thought that maybe a better solution to problem #2 above, would be to upgrade the motor to a 3 or 5 hp motor.
Has anyone upgraded their Craftsman Model 152.221140 to a larger HP motor?
Does anyone have experience purchasing a larger HP motor for their table saw?
Any recommended places to purchase the motor from?
I have read through the NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) classifications and it looks like a NEMA Frame 56 is the proper form factor for my saw. The shaft size of 1 1/8" dia and length of 1 7/8" seems to be standard. As long as the motor is a TEFC (Total Enclosed Fan Cooled) and the correct HP (horse power) and VAC (voltage alternating current) are there any other specifications that I should be concerned about?
As for problem #1, I have no ideas on this one, so any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Over the last couple of years, I have customized the TS with a laminated outfeed table, laminated extension table (58" rip capacity), sealed all the dust collection leaks and added hold down capability to the fence. I have the blade, miter slots and fence all aligned correctly. I use good thin kerf blades and dado blades.
My only complaints with the TS are:
1. The splitter is very malleable and tends to bend out of alignment with the blade if it gets bumped. I have looked at third party splitters, but thought I would ask here first.
2. The 1.5 hp motor gets bogged down when cutting hardwood such as cherry, maple and oak. There seems to be a very fine sweet spot between feed rate and the burn rate. When the feed rate is too slow, the burn rate increases. When the feed rate is too fast the motor bogs down quickly.
I have done some research into finding a more "robust" TS, but when I compare features, I usually like my Craftsman TS the best. I have looked at Jet, Delta and Powermatic table saws over the last year and I didn't find them any better than the Craftsman TS that I have now.
I visited the Grizzly showroom in Bellingham a couple of days ago to look at the G1023RLWX (5HP 220V 10" dia blade) with the W2007 extension rails and the GO605X1 (5HP 220V 12" dia blade). Yes, I like the saws, but when I compared the features that I was giving up, I decided not to purchase. The fence on the G1023 is very basic compared to my Craftsman fence. The fence on the G0605X1 was definitely an upgrade over the G1023, but still lacked the ability to mount a feather board hold down to it without creating a jig. The dust collection shroud around the blade was very attractive, but I have made my TS so good at collecting dust, that I can't see that the Grizzly shroud would do any better.
Anyways, I thought that maybe a better solution to problem #2 above, would be to upgrade the motor to a 3 or 5 hp motor.
Has anyone upgraded their Craftsman Model 152.221140 to a larger HP motor?
Does anyone have experience purchasing a larger HP motor for their table saw?
Any recommended places to purchase the motor from?
I have read through the NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) classifications and it looks like a NEMA Frame 56 is the proper form factor for my saw. The shaft size of 1 1/8" dia and length of 1 7/8" seems to be standard. As long as the motor is a TEFC (Total Enclosed Fan Cooled) and the correct HP (horse power) and VAC (voltage alternating current) are there any other specifications that I should be concerned about?
As for problem #1, I have no ideas on this one, so any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks.